The end of a year always makes me reminisce about the last 12 months of my life. On the surface, this past year appears to have been uneventful, but under the surface a lot has happened.
One experience that I've thought about often since it happened was in March. My Grandmother passed away and my four siblings and I set out on a cross-country drive for the funeral. We had been driving for a few hours when we stopped in Wyoming and I was voted the next drive. It was cold and dark and we had a long way ahead of us.
I had only been driving for 30 minutes when I felt the car start to sway. I tried to steady the wheel but it only got worse and soon we were swaying across both lanes. At 60 mph our car was spinning down I-80. As we were twirling 360 degrees counter-clockwise, sliding sideways, spinning 360 degrees clockwise and at one point backwards down the freeway, for what seemed like an eternity, my mind was surprisingly clear and I was doing all I could to regain control. With my sister, Julie, riding shotgun we had enough time to discuss what to do.
J: Take your foot off the brake!
S: My foot isn't ON the brake!
*Silence as we continued to spin."
J: Turn into it!
S: Turn into it? I am!
I don't know how it happened, but we were suddenly facing the right direction and I was pulling off to the shoulder. Shaking and now on the verge of tears, I put the car in park and took my hands off the wheel. Two of the five were not wearing seat belts and not one of us could figure out how I had managed to keep the car on the road. If we would have hit a dry patch there is no doubt the Ford Explorer would have flipped. My brother stepped out onto the freeway and discovered a layer of ice 1/4 inch thick.
We discussed it then on the side of the road and I've thought about it many times since then--it was nothing short of a miracle that we made it through without a scratch. We were protected and it reiterated to all of us that we are here for a reason and there are still things we need to accomplish in this life.
I'm grateful for what that experience taught me and for all of the experiences I've had this past year. I've learned so much, especially about myself, and can only hope for the same in 2007. Plus, Lindsay's crystal ball showed that I will get married this year.
Bring on 2007!!
2 comments:
I've reread this blog several times and thought a lot about it. I think it's really important to write this kind of stuff down so you can actively remember it.
This is a CRAZY story and made me more nervous for my big drive. I hope all turns out well for me too!
Don't be nervous! Night time is the worst, so if you're not trying to do it in a straight shot like us, you should be good. Just be extra careful in Wyoming.
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